The purpose of the current work is to understand the signaling function, biology, and physiology of the evolutionarily-conserved GNB5/R7-RGS/R7BP complex in humans. To this end we are first trying to identify and characterize the functions of the Gbeta5 complex and its components in model systems such as cultured neuronal and/or neuroendocrine cells and cell lines, primary rodent brain neurons, and genetically-modified mice. The effect of the loss-of-function of GNB5 and other GNB5/R7-RGS/R7BP complex components in knockout mice is currently being examined using developmental, behavioral, immunohistochemical, and neuroanatomical analyses.